Two months from now, the new Secretary General of the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF) will be elected on October 11 and 12, during the Yerevan summit. The position is being campaigned between Incumbent Secretary General of La Francophonie Michaëlle Jean and Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo.
Via its official twitter wall, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry tweeted “On 22 and 24 August, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs @LMushikiwabo (Louise Mushikiwabo) will visit Armenia. During the visit, negotiations between the Foreign Ministers of #Armenia; @ZMnatsakanyan (Zohrab Mnatsakanyan) and #Rwanda are planned.
In the past days, Mushikiwabo took her campaign to Cambodia, where she held discussions with her counterpart, Prak Sokhonn, on the 9th August.
In a recent Interview with AFP, Mushikiwabo, said that she believes the OIF “could do much more” in influencing issues on the international scene. Among her ideals, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister seeks to prioritize peace, security and promotion of the youth among others.
The Centre mainly receives people battling drug abuse, thieves and prostitutes, before taking them through intensive rehabilitation provided by a team of experts.
On 28th June, 36 delinquents were released in irregular ways that goes against Transit Centre’s laws, while on 18th August, 32 escaped, as confirmed by the District Officials.
Following the events, on Tuesday, Northern Province Officials demanded explanations from the district officials, the Committee in charge of people who are being helped by the Transit Centre, and others involved in the Transit Centre’s management, on the issue.
Speaking to IGIHE, Burera District Mayor, Florence Uwambajemariya, said that investigations on the issue have been launched.
“The 36 people were released illegally since the committee in charge of allowing their release was not there at the time. As for those who escaped, we are investigating the issue and hold the responsible individuals accountable,” Uwambajemariya told IGIHE.
Uwambajemariya added that the 32 who were illegally released include delinquents, drug addicts, and petty thieves among others admitting that there might have been negligence among the responsible officials. She assured residents that it would not occur again.
Speaking to IGIHE, Northern Province’s Governor, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, reproached the neglect and added that the province officials were to follow-up the case.
“This sort of negligence of duty should not be tolerated. People admitted in the Transit Centre have character dents that need to be rehabilitated and released just like that, without any sort of protection,” Gatabazi said.
“We are questioning those who were supposed to guard them because it looks like corruption might have been involved, but we are still investigating,’’
He added that if it becomes apparent that some officials or guards from the Transit Centre received bribes, they will be punished.
Locals from Nemba sector said that they could not understand how delinquents who threatened their safety could be released just like that, and for others to escape in a place that is said to be highly-guarded.
Habiremye Thomas, a local, told IGIHE that it was confusing how they could have escaped in a highly guarded place. He suspected that they were helped to escape.
According to District Officials, out of the 32 who escaped, 13 were recaptured while the rest are still at large.
The Varsity’s presence in Rwanda offers a platform where people can engage in Africa’s most significant opportunities and challenges through education and contextually-relevant research.
CMU-Africa is currently hosted at Telecom House but is set to relocate soon to a Rwf9 billion newly constructed campus located in the government newly designed Innovation City, in Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ).
The University launched its operations in 2012, with the aim of training more than 400 students within five years, but has so far graduated 145.
The Chief Operating Officer at Rwanda Development Board, Emmanuel Hategeka, in October 2017, told Parliament that there had been slight complications in joining the campus with the University of Rwanda.
According to the Auditor General’s 2016/17 report, Rwanda invested $43 Million, approximately Rwf36 Billion.
As for the 2016/17 Nation Budget, the Government attributed Rwf7 Million for the construction of Carnegie Mellon’s new campus located in the Kigali Special Economic Zone (KSEZ), in a bid to enhance better education for students.
Speaking with IGIHE, Rwanda’s Minister for Information Technology and Communications, Jean de Dieu Rurangirwa lauded the university’s campus presence in Rwanda, and said it presented opportunities for Africans.
Rwanda is currently the only African country hosting the branch of Carnegie Mellon University.
“The University enrolls students from over 20 countries across the African continent. The knowledge there is of great advantage as the campus offers an American-worthy Education,” Rurangirwa observed.
“With the campus in Rwanda, the country benefits a lot because it develops a great relationship with the students hosted and you will find that most of these students decide to stay in Rwanda when they complete their studies,” he added.
“Other benefits involve being united as Africa; we gain new brains that are in search of a place where they can develop their potential,” Rurangirwa said.
In May 2017, the university signed agreements with Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) aiming to cooperate in the making of devices for e-tax payment, and finding other kinds of online methods of tax payment.
The new CMU-Africa campus is being constructed in a place designated by the government as the Kigali Innovation City, a future hub aimed at leveling up the country’s digital transformation.
Africans studying in Rwanda’s CMU-Africa campus pay a fee of $16,000, an estimation of Rwf13 Million per year. As for East-African students, they receive a discount of 50% from the fee.
Born out of a partnership between CMU and the Government of Rwanda, CMU-Africa is addressing the critical shortage of high quality engineering talent required to accelerate development in Africa—home to the fastest growing workforce in the world.
Daily Monitor reports that brutality against the media started in Arua early last week and continued in Kampala this week.
African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) said in a statement that the incidents highlight a disturbing trend towards repression of freedom of expression.
The brutalised include NTV journalists Herbert Zziwa and Ronald Muwanga.
The two were battered last week by security officers as they reported live from Arua in the violence that followed killing by shooting of Yasin Kawuma, the driver of Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi, the pop-star known for his stage name as Bobi Wine.
Protesters also smashed President Yoweli Museveni’s car as they took on streets to boycott the ruling NRM campaign for the parliamentary by-election which took place last Wednesday.
Museveni was in Arua campaigning for NRM candidate Nusura Tiperu while Bobi Wine campaigned for independent but opposition-leaning candidate, Kassiano Wadri.
Wadri won over NRM’s Tiperu as winner of the Arua Municipality parliamentary by-election. The election was held while Wadri, Bobi Wine and some other MPs were behind the bars. They were arrested for inciting violence in their last campaign.
More media workers were battered and arrested in Kampala on Monday while covering the #FreeBobiWine political protests in Kampala.
James Akena, a photographer for the English news agency Reuters was beaten by soldiers and detained for several hours. His equipment was also confiscated.
Ronald Galiwango and Juma Kirya, journalists for NTV, Julius Muhumuza (Online), and Observer’s photographer Alfred Ochwo were also beaten.
Videos of the violence against media and protesters have gone viral on social media.
Akena is seen covering the protests in Kisekka Market in downtown Kampala when military men in their uniform battered him using long sticks, warning that “we shall kill you all.”
“I was pushed under the police truck after they had taken away my camera and money. Only the phone survived and when we reached CPS [Kampala Central Police Station], they ordered me to delete all the recordings from the camera but mine was in pieces,” Mr Akena told Daily Monitor yesterday from his hospital bed in Kampala where he was admitted following the beatings.
Many media workers have got scars and swellings resulting from torture they have faced during their coverage of the protests.
More have reported acts of intimidation by allegedly security agencies via phone calls while others say their cameras, phones or computers have been confiscated by men in uniform.
Brig Richard Karemire, the army spokesperson, criticised Tuesday the unprofessional conduct of soldiers who battered journalists while deployed on a joint operation with police to quell the protests in Kampala.
“UPDF wishes to express its displeasure over such behaviour by those individuals and as a result, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) has ordered their arrest and punishment,” he said in a statement.
Eid al-Adha, which in Arabic literally means the "festival of the sacrifice", commemorates the Koran tale of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael but God offered him a lamb to sacrifice, ruling that no human life should be sacrificed in the name of God.
The Head of State yesterday took to twitter to wish joyful celebrations to Muslims saying “EidMubarak to all muslims in Rwanda and across the world celebrating Eid al-Adha. I wish you all continued joyous celebrations.”
In Rwanda, the celebrations took place at a national level at Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo, where they offered prayers.
The Mufti of Rwanda, Sheikh Salim Hitimana, who led the gathering in prayers at Kigali Stadium, urged the Muslim Community to fight drugs especially among the youth and report drug dealers. He further called them to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, slated for September 2-3.
The day is marked with the sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep, or cow, and the distribution of the meat among neighbours, family members, and the poor.
The Rwandan Muslims Community (RMC) shared and distributed sacrifices of 1000 cows and 2000 goats worth Rwf200 Million.
She was director of Kibingo Health Centre in Rutsiro District until she died on Monday night.
Dusabinema was among 179 candidates vying for 24 women’s seats equivalent to 30% of the 80-seat parliament.
The women’s 30% is provided by the 2003 Constitution amended in 2015.
It is reported that she had hypertension but the complication had eased for long before her death.
Rutsiro District Mayor Emérence Ayinkamiye told IGIHE yesterday that Dusabinema got in critical conditions Monday around 10 pm from her home and died on the way to hospital.
Ayinkamiye said the district has lost an important leader in addition to having been a candidate for the Lower House.
” She had been suffering from high blood pressure but doctors told us it had eased for long. Her death was really abrupt,” said the mayor.
“She was a hard worker. Her health centre was always number one in delivery in the district. We have lost an important servant.”
Dusabinema had been in campaigns for a seat in parliament. She lately campaigned in Nyamasheke District.
The parliamentary general elections for 53 seats are slated for September 2 and 3 in Diaspora and Rwanda respectively.
Women representatives will be voted on September 4; the same day will be voted two representatives of the youth and one for the people with disabilities.
The event that took place last Sunday was attended by over 60 members of Dallas Fort Worth Rwandan Community.
Addressing participants, the first counselor at the Embassy of Rwanda in U.S, Frank Kayijuka told how in ancient Rwanda, Umuganura was one of the most important ceremonies celebrated by Rwandans at the beginning of every harvest season, carried out at the king’s palace, and at the family and community level as an occasion to celebrate the country’s abundant harvest.
“Today, our tradition of celebrating Umuganura is still meaningful for Rwandans but carries another meaning. It is an opportunity to take stock of the achievements of our nation, while looking at ways of addressing future challenges, as we all thrive towards national development,” said Kayijuka, as he called the diaspora to join in on the journey that the country has embarked on, and practice self-reliance while fostering Rwanda’s development.
Kayijuka also thanked the efforts made by Rwandans living abroad, who contributed to this year’s various initiatives such as providing Mutuelle de Santé to less privileged Rwandans back home.
Rwandan traditional meals were shared as community members mingled and danced.
PL was campaigning in Nyamasheke District on Sunday where the two crops dominate the agriculture.
The party’s President Donatille Mukabalisa promised residents that PL will strive to promote exports of agriculture production.
This, she said, will be achieved by teaching farmers about best practices and land optimisation.
“As the district where agriculture dominates, we want to promote this sector in your district in order to have better production,” said the former Speaker of the Lower House dissolved a fortnight ago.
PL observes that Nyamasheke has fertile soil but farmers have no skills in using fertilisers, good seeds and more in farming.
The party pledges to advocate for research to identify best seeds for the district and training of farmers on land optimisation.
Mukabalisa said they will strive to see tea and coffee from Nyamasheke excel on the international market with the brand ‘Made in Nyamasheke’ to make the district known all over the world.
Prosper Nsabimana, a resident of Nyamasheke and PL member, said they expect changes in acquiring fertilisers in case the party secures good seats in the Lower House.
PL was founded on July 14, 1991. It has been involved in the whole process of the country’s reconstruction. The party insists on the respect of human liberty, justice and prosperity as its foundational principles.
PL is on the course for votes in the parliamentary elections slated for September 2nd and 3rd in Diaspora and in the country respectively.
Also known as Feast of Sacrifice or Big Eid, it is one of the two major festivals of Islam but considered the holier. The other is Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Eid Al-Adha commemorates the Koran tale of Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael but God offered him a lamb to sacrifice, ruling that no human life should be sacrificed in the name of God.
Among Christian and Jews communities, they believe that Abraham is ordered to sacrifice another son Isaac.
Rwandan Muslims have convened today at Kigali Stadium in Nyamirambo to offer prayers.
Eid al-Adha has come two days after the two million Muslims started annual Islamic pilgrimage in Mina and Mecca cities of Saudi Arabia.
The Holy pilgrimage started August 19 running until 26 with 79 Rwandans participating.
The Mufti of Rwanda, Sheikh Salim Hitimana, led the gathering in prayers at Kigali Stadium.
He encouraged the Muslim community to fight drugs especially among the youth and report drug dealers.
Mufti Hitimana also urged the congregation to play their role in bringing about upcoming parliamentary elections, come September 2-3.
Eid al-Adha compels all Muslims with means to slaughter cows, goats and other animals as sacrifice and distribute meat among disadvantaged around them.
Mufti Hitimana reminded all Muslims to share feasts with the vulnerable in observance of the sacrifice.
“This is a day of showing compassion and happiness that should always be reflected among the Muslims. You have to observe that, help the poor and share meals with them,” he said.
He said that Rwandan Muslims should not wait for foreign counterparts to give them animals to offer as sacrifice.
Today, Rwanda Muslim Community has offered as sacrifice 1,000 cows and 2,000 goats at the value of Rwf200 million.
Laurette Mugabo was part of the 2,000 young professionals convened for “Meet the President’ session at Intare Conference Arena in Kigali, Sunday.
The group of young people from across the country and the Diaspora presented a range of views and challenges to President Paul Kagame in an interactive session.
Ms. Mugabo said she had a problem about the ease of getting a job in Rwanda for the youth especially those from Diaspora.
“When we come here, it’s really hard to get jobs. If you don’t have connections, it’s technically hard to get them (jobs)… a connection of someone recommending you… a friend or relative recommending you,” she said.
“On top of my head, my older sister graduated from the University of Kansas and sat here for one and a half years until my mum had to pull a few strings, asked a few people.”
Mugabo said her sister applied for a job in different institutions including Rwanda Development Board recently where “they had to pull a few strings as well.”
The issue irritated President Kagame who said the nepotism must stop if it is the case in job recruitment.
“It sounds very bad to me. I want explanation about that,” said the Head of State.
Ingabire Marie Immaculée, the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda, has told IGIHE “what that young girl told the President is true, she wasn’t lying.”
The recruitment process in Rwanda starts with the institution announcing a job vacancy via internet platforms. Interested candidates apply and then sit for written and interview tests.
For application, people fill a form and send it to the recruiters via e-mail. The recruiting institution shortlists some candidates for tests.
Ingabire said there are gaps all along the recruitment process, making it possible for bribery and injustice. She says it starts with the job vacancy announcement and continues into tests.
“There was a case of a teacher who passed away in Gasabo District and the Sector’s Education Officer told the head teacher that they had found someone who wanted to pay Rwf300,000 to replace the deceased,” she said.
Angelina Muganza, the Executive Secretary of Public Service Commission, has told IGIHE that there are often problems in selecting candidates for the job tests.
The report of the commission indicates that among 23 issues identified in the country’s employment, some are about the recruitment of unqualified servants.
They also include malpractices in placing people in jobs before completing three years in their previous positions as required by the law.
Others were found in jobs without having presented the required academic documents.
“We cannot know why recruiters have chosen those servants but we tell those institutions that they were wrong in that recruitment,” said Muganza.
The commission also found cases where contracted recruitment consultants had close relationships with people who won the jobs, casting doubt on the recruitment.
The Presidential Order states that a candidate wins a job after securing 70% of the written and interview tests combined.
Muganza said they are reducing injustice in recruitment by avoiding candidates’ names on answer booklets and video-recording interviews during the tests.
Transparency International Rwanda suggests more efforts be put in encouraging people to report bribery as survey indicated in 2017 that graft was reported by only 15% of all who encountered the vice.
